Ducted wind turbine optimization and sensitivity to rotor position

Abstract

The design of a ducted wind turbine modeled using an actuator disc was studied using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The design variables included the rotor thrust coefficient, the angle of attack of the duct cross section, the radial gap between the rotor and the duct, and the axial location of the rotor in the duct. Two different power coefficients, the rotor power coefficient (based on the rotor swept area) and the total power coefficient (based on the exit area of the duct), were used as optimization objectives. The optimal value of thrust coefficients for all designs was nearly constant, having a value between 0.9 and 1. The rotor power coefficient was sensitive to rotor gap but was insensitive to the rotor's axial location for positions ranging from upstream of the throat to nearly half the distance down the duct. Compared to the design that maximized rotor power coefficient, the design for maximal total power coefficient was characterized by a smaller angle of attack, a smaller rotor gap, and a downstream placement of the rotor. The insensitivity of power output to the rotor position implies that a rotor placed further downstream in the duct could produce the same power with a considerably smaller duct exit area and thus a greater total power coefficient. The design for that maximized total power coefficient exceeded Betz's limit with a total power coefficient of 0.67.